Description
Classic Candy Cane Cookies are soft with a crisp exterior, flavored perfectly with peppermint. These festive cookies are ideal for holiday celebrations, featuring a delightful twist and topped with crushed peppermint candies for extra flavor and crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
Additional Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
- 3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract, scraping down the bowl once to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Flour Mixture: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Beat just until the flour is combined. If any flour remains at the bottom of the bowl, remove and knead the dough by hand a few times until fully incorporated.
- Divide and Color Dough: Remove half of the dough and add red food coloring to it. Mix thoroughly to achieve a rich red color, using about 1 teaspoon of liquid food coloring or a few drops of gel food coloring. Wrap each dough portion separately in plastic wrap and press into 1-inch thick disks.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the wrapped dough disks for 4 hours or until firm to the touch. Dough can be chilled for up to 3 days at this stage.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookies: Cut the dough into 1-inch cubes. Roll each cube into a ball. Lightly flour your surface and roll each ball into a 5-inch-long rope by rolling it up and down gently with your palm. Place a red and a white rope side by side and carefully twist them together. Curve one end downward to form the handle of the candy cane. Place the formed candy canes on the baking sheets spaced 1 inch apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until they appear dry on top but not browned.
- Add Peppermint Topping and Cool: Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over the warm cookies. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The cookies have a soft interior with a crisp exterior, making them a perfect holiday treat.
- If food coloring is not available, you may omit it and simply twist plain peppermint dough for a subtle festive look.
- Use crushed peppermint candies for a crunchy topping; crushed candy canes or peppermint bark can be suitable alternatives.
- Ensure to chill the dough well to make it easier to roll and shape into the iconic candy cane form.
- Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 126 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 46 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
